Billy Vunipola recalled to solve No 8 problem for England’s tour of Australia

Billy Vunipola has been handed a recall for England’s summer tour of Australia by Eddie Jones, who has summoned the No 8 into his squad for the first time since the 2021 Six Nations. Jones has also included the 19-year-old London Irish full-back Henry Arundell in his 36-man squad as an apprentice and as one of eight uncapped players for the series against the Wallabies.

Vunipola has been in impressive form for Saracens but Jones suggested he would be unavailable for the tour after suffering a concussion late on against the Tigers. With Alex Dombrandt ruled out with a knee injury, however, Jones has seen fit to call on the 29-year-old who is the only specialist No 8 in the squad.

Elsewhere, joining Arundell as an apprentice is his London Irish teammate Will Joseph while Guy Porter is a surprise inclusion. Ben Youngs is not part of the squad but Danny Care has been selected after he made his first England appearance off the bench in Sunday’s humiliating 52-21 defeat by the Barbarians. Jack van Poortvliet is also selected among the scrum-halves.

George Ford, who suffered an ankle injury in the Premiership final, is absent, as is Joe Marler and with Henry Slade, Joe Launchbury, Manu Tuilagi, Kyle Sinckler and Anthony Watson all sidelined, Jones is without a wealth of experience for the three-Test series which begins on 2 July in Perth. He is, however, boosted by the return of Luke Cowan-Dickie, who has not played since suffering a knee injury during the Six Nations.

The Northampton pair of Tommy Freeman and Fraser Dingwall are among the uncapped players, as is the tighthead prop Patrick Schickerling and the hooker Jack Walker, both of whom featured on Sunday. There is no room for either of Max Malins or Elliot Daly from